Taiwanese woman caught with 30 tortoises on body at airport
A 19 year old Taiwanese woman was arrested yesterday, April 29, at Suvarnabhumi Airport for wildlife smuggling after officers found 30 Indian star tortoises hidden on her body before a flight to Taipei.
Wildlife officers at Suvarnabhumi Airport worked with customs officers and police from the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division to arrest the woman at the outbound passenger screening area for VietJet Air.
The woman reportedly showed suspicious behaviour before she was asked to undergo a detailed search. Officers then found protected animals concealed on several parts of her body.
According to officers, the suspect had taped Indian star tortoises to restrict their movement before placing them inside cloth bags and attaching them to her body to avoid detection by scanners.
Officials seized 29 live tortoises and one dead tortoise, making 30 items in total. The suspect was handed over to investigators at Suvarnabhumi Airport Police Station for legal proceedings.
Indian star tortoises are listed under CITES and are protected wildlife that cannot be imported or exported without permission. The species is considered highly valuable in the illegal wildlife trade.
The woman faces charges under the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act 2019, Sections 19 and 23, for taking protected wildlife out of the country without permission.
She also faces charges under the Customs Act 2017, Sections 242 and 252, for attempting to take restricted goods out of Thailand while avoiding restrictions, and under the Animal Epidemics Act 2015 for exporting animals without a permit.
Naewna reported that all live tortoises were sent to the Wildlife Conservation Office for urgent care. Officers will also use them for species verification as the investigation into a suspected transnational wildlife trafficking network continues.
Similarly, wildlife officers at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok arrested a South Korean man for attempting to smuggle seven radiated tortoises, an endangered species, out of Thailand.
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